Blueberries: Summer's Handpicked Bounty

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

The berries were clustered together in groups of six, eight and ten; as we reached among the leaves, the previous night’s rainstorm’s rivulets ran down our arms. Slipping the occasional berry in our mouths, its savory pop released sun-warmed juices that dribbled down our chins as we savored its sweetness. My kids and I were picking fresh blueberries together in a neighbor’s backyard.

Lately it’s been the little things that matter most: the berries we’ve picked together, the pages we’ve colored, the books we’ve read before bedtime. It’s those times I’ve stopped to really listen that make me even more conscious of wanting to spend my time wisely, with purpose and consciousness, kindness and love. Summer is not only the perfect vacation and swimming time—it’s also the perfect time to share the delightful abundance of the earth’s food with kids.

“Children just love to see how food grows and then take such pride in preparing and eating what they have picked,” says Kate Zurschmeide of Great Country Farms & Foggy Bottom Vineyard, a pick-your-own farm in Bluemont, VA. “Picking fruit is always a favorite, but we have had more comments about how children actually ate broccoli or peas that they picked themselves.”

That’s why I’m encouraging you to find the time to step out and go natural in one small way. Whether it’s planting and tending a small garden or patch of veggies together or perhaps finding a pick-your-own farm for fruit or vegetables. Maybe it’s just stopping by a farm stand to take a look at the season’s fresh offerings and then head home to clean some corn on the cob together or bake a raspberry buckle.

“I think folks love the experience of sharing how food really grows with their family,” adds Kate. “So many children have only seen packaged produce that to dig under a potato plant and find buried treasure is a wonder or to pick a blackberry just as it is perfectly ripe and savor its sweetness is a treat long remembered.”

Yes, the simple act of picking berries can really be a moving meditation. A thank you, a caring action, time together. It’s certainly a great way to experience life—and food—more fully with your kids.

If you’re looking for a farmers market or U-Pick farm near you, Kate recommends www.pickyourown.org or www.localharvest.org, or calling your local Ag Extension office. Or try doing a search at the Department of Agriculture’s website at www.usda.gov to get started. If you plug in your state, such as “Ohio Farmers Markets,” or “Pennsylvania U-Pick,” you’ll get a starter list.

Here’s an easy recipe that the kids can help mix with the fruits of your picking: Whether blueberries, raspberries, peaches or apples, this crisp makes a delectable dessert out of fresh fruit. When baking a less juicy fruit such as apples, add 1/3 cup water to the pan, and increase the baking time.

Serves/Makes: 6

• 4 cups fruit (blueberries, raspberries, peaches, apples)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

***Topping***

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter